UN TO LAUNCH INVESTIGATION INTO CHEMICAL WEAPONS ATTACK IN ALEPPO

Russia Welcomes UN Decision to Launch Probe into Incident of Chemical Weapons Use in Syria

Mar 21, 2013

MOSCOW, (SANA)- Russian Deputy Foreign Minister, Gennady Gatilov, expressed Russia’s welcome of the decision taken by the UN Secretary General to conduct inquiry into the use of chemical weapons in Syria.

“We positively received the news about the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon quickly meeting the Syrian government’s request to conduct an investigation into the incident of using chemical weapons in Khan al-Assal in Alepo Countryside on March 19,” Gatilov told journalists in Moscow.

Earlier, the UN Secretary General announce that the UN intends to launch an international probe into the incident of launching a chemical weapon by terrorist group on Khan al-Assal area upon the Syrian government’s request.

“I have decided to conduct a United Nations investigation into the possible use of chemical weapons in Syria,” Ban Ki-moon said according to Reuters.

He told reporters that the investigation will focus on “the specific incident brought to my attention by the Syrian government.”

He noted that the UN will cooperate with the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and the World Health Organization.

“There is much work to do and this will not happen overnight… It’s obviously a difficult mission. I intend for this investigation to start as soon as practically possible,” said Ban Ki-moon.

Russia Expresses Readiness to Participate in Investigation Committee

Earlier, the Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman, Alexander Lukashevich, announced that Russian is ready to send experts to join a committee to investigate into chemical weapons use in Syria in case such a committee was formed.

“In case such a committee or experts delegation was formed, we would gladly propose for our experts to work within it,” said Lukashevich.

He warned against the intention of the “Syrian opposition” to bring military intervention in Syria, saying this would cause “bloody chaos”.

“This opposition has placed in front of it the mission of bringing foreign intervention after it became certain of the extend of support extended by its sponsors outside Syria…but we can’t feel worried by such dispositions,” Lukashevich added.

The Russian diplomat said that “There is nothing for Russia to discuss with the so-called ‘head of the interim government’,” reiterating however Moscow’s readiness to continue dialogue with the “Syrian opposition” figures who are interested in the peaceful settlement.

“That who is called the new head of the interim government rejects any possibility for dialogue with the Syrian government and calls for foreign intervention as soon as possible. So what issue could we discuss with him,” said Lukashevich.

He pointed out that Moscow considers it a must to implement the Geneva Statement on Syria and not talk about expanding the circle of participants in Geneva dialogue.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister, Mikhail Bogdanov, and Syria’s Ambassador in Moscow, Riyad Haddad, discussed the situation in Syria in light of the information on terrorist groups using chemical weapons in Khan al-Assal.

Both sides stressed the need to conduct an independent investigation into this incident.

Terrorists on Tuesday launched a rocket with chemical materials from Kafar Dael in al-Neirab area on Khan al-Assal, killing 25 people and injuring scores of others.

Churkin Calls For Neutral, Thorough And Objective Investigation

Russia’s U.N. Ambassador, President of the U.N. Security Council for March, Vitaly Churkin, reiterated his country’s call for holding a neutral, thorough and objective investigation into the terrorists’ use of chemical weapons in Syria.

Russia Today Website quoted Churkin as saying after closed consultations at the UN Security Council on Wednesday, “We ask the Syrian government to investigate the incident and we have experts from several countries including Russia…I think that the UN Secretary-General will form a team encompassing highly experienced members, and we expect that this investigation will be neutral and objective…This issue will be considered carefully.”

He indicated that France and Britain have resorted to an undue tactic which aims at hindering the consultations similar to what happened in Iraq when the US tried to justify its invasion of this country through fabricating information claiming that Iraq possesses mass destruction weapons.

He added that “he cited similar examples about what happened in Iraq when the Council’s members talked about the necessity of sending experts to Syria to investigate the issue of chemical weapons in general,” and not only about the accident of firing a rocket with chemical materials on Khan al-Assal in Aleppo by the terrorist groups.

U.N. spokesman Martin Nesirky said that the UN has received a written request from Syria’s Permanent Envoy to the UN Bashar al-Jaafari to hold an investigation.

The Agence France-Presse quoted France’s UN Ambassador, Gerard Aro, as saying following last night UN session that the issue is one of conducting investigation in the whole Syrian territories to shed light on what he described as “allegations”.

For his part, Assistant of Britain’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Philip Praham, that other countries could agree to the request for investigation.

Chizhov Warns Against Repeating Libyan Scenario in Syria

Russia’s Permanent Representative to the European Union (EU), Vladimir Chizhov warned that repeating the Libyan scenario by the NATO in Syria will be a “flagrant strategic mistake.”

Answering a question on the intentions of repeating the Libyan scenario in Syria, Chizhov said “If there is an element of the political pressure, I don’t think that this situation will serve in solving the issues, and the /worst/ is that it will be an outrageous strategic mistake.”

He indicated that the mistake also lies in the agreement on implementing what has been announced by France and Britain on lifting the embargo imposed by the EU on importing weapons to the “Syrian opposition”.

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman, Ramin Mehmanparast, expressed his country’s solidarity with the families of the victims.

In a press statement, Mehmanparast held the perpetrator of the crime and the countries which support them responsible for such crimes.

Affirming its principled stances on the necessity of adhering to the peaceful compromise to the crisis in Syria, Iran considered that the stability in the region depends on the commitment to the political option in solving the crisis, he said.

He asserted that Iran calls upon all human rights organizations and institutions to condemn this crime and to shoulder their responsibilities.

The armed terrorist groups on Tuesday fired a rocket carrying chemical materials on Khan al-Asad area in Aleppo, killing and injuring dozens of citizens.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry summoned Swiss Charge D’affaires – who represents U.S. interests in Tehran, and told him Iran’s strong condemnation of the use of chemical weapons by the armed terrorist groups in Syria, holding the countries which support these groups accountable for this dangerous act.

Foreign Ministry’s Assistant Director General for Political and International Affairs Mohsen Naziri said, “ The Islamic Republic of Iran has frequently warned against such crimes. It strongly urges the U.S. government to prevent chemical weapons from falling into the hands of Syria rebels.”

H. Zain/ R.al-Jazaeri/ F.L

Syrian Students, Community Abroad Denounce Terrorists’ Use of Chemical Weapon in Khan Al-Asal

Mar 21, 2013

CAPITALS,(SANA)-Syrian students in Slovakia strongly condemned the heinous crime perpetrated by the armed terrorist groups against the citizens in Khan al-Asal in Aleppo Countryside where they used a poisonous chemical weapon that is banned in the international, ethical and humanitarian levels.

Syrian Students National Union/ Slovakia Branch stressed in a statement that “The armed groups and the countries which support them have trespassed all the values when they committed this crime which comes in the framework of a new and dangerous conspiratorial series.”

“This crime aims at undermining the political process and the national dialogue along with the political program of solving the crisis,” the statement added.

It reiterated “The Syrian students’ confidence that such brutal crimes will fail in undermining the will of the Syrian people who aspire for solving the crisis and building the new Syria that is stronger than ever.”

It also called for “Stopping the support and the finance of the armed terrorist groups which aim to undermine the security and stability of Syria.”

In their statement, the students called upon the UN to investigate how the armed terrorist groups obtained the chemical weapons in a way that is contradicted with the international laws.

They also called upon all the parties to sit to the dialogue table to get out of the crisis.

Syrian community and students in the Czech Republic also condemned the chemical attack by the armed terrorist groups against Khan al-Asal in Aleppo Countryside.

In a press statement, members of the Syrian community in the Czech Republic said that this attack and the Arab and Western reactions towards it have divulged again the malevolence of these groups and the hypocrisy of the West which backs them and guarantees their security in a time when it claims that it is keen on the international security and stability.

The statement indicated that this dangerous escalation comes in the framework of the plan of brining the foreign interference in Syria.

The community expressed confidence that this new crime will enhance the steadfastness of the Syrians and make them more determined to continue the battle against the Gulf-Western axis of evil and their tools.

For their part, the Syrian students in a similar statement held all the countries which support terrorism responsible for the crime committed by the terrorists in Khan al-Asal in Aleppo Countryside.

They called upon the UN to form a specialized and neutral technical mission to investigate this new crime.

They affirmed that the political program to solve the crisis proposed by the Syrian leadership and sitting to the dialogue table is the only solution to restoring peace, security and stability to Syria.

DAMASCUS, (SANA) – The Syrian Communist Party (Unified) condemned on Wednesday the armed terrorist groups’ launch of a missile loaded with chemical materials against Khan al-Assal people in Aleppo countryside.In a statement, the Party said that this criminal act comes after the terrorists failed to achieve any military gains in confronting the Syrian army, and it comes within a dangerous escalation of events and a qualitative leap in confronting terrorists.The statement added that this crime coincides with the escalation made by some Arab League members, particularly Saudi Arabia and Qatar to legitimize the flow of weapons to terrorists in Syria, and it coincides with the efforts exerted by France and Britain to legitimize smuggling weapons to terrorists in Syria.